Recent times have seen a surge in the use of contactless functionality in consumer electronic devices, and in particular in the smartphone market. For example, smartphones configured with near-field communication (NFC) functionality can now be used as contactless payment devices, as exemplified by Apple's Apple Pay™ and Google's Google Wallet™ contactless payment systems. In such systems the existing internet connectivity of smartphones is used by payment card issuers to provide the smartphone with the required data content to enable the smartphone to participate in payment transactions with a contactless payment terminal (commonly known as a Point of Sale device or POS). In practice, this is implemented by requiring that the user download the service provider's user interface application, commonly known as a wallet, to the smartphone. As part of the application configuration process, user registration is required to identify the user and the payment card they wish to enable or digitize on their smartphone with the service provider. Details such as any one of name, address, social security number, card, and bank account details may be provided during the registration process. Using the information provided by the user along with details of the smartphone, the service provider is able to validate the eligibility of the request and if compatible, construct a unique digitized card, which is securely transmitted to the specific smartphone. To improve security, smartphones are provided with a secure element, which is effectively a protected processing area, which may be implemented either in hardware or software. The unique digitized card is transmitted from the service provider to the smartphone's secure element, and enables the service provider to identify the digitized card during subsequent transactions. Once installed and configured with the digitized card, the smartphone may participate in payment transactions with a contactless payment terminal using its native NFC functionality.
NFC communication relates to a specific set of standards of radio communication for smartphones and other, typically portable, consumer electronic devices. Communication between a smartphone or other consumer device and a receiver is typically established by bringing the device in close proximity (usually no more than a few centimeters) with a receiver. The NFC standards cover protocols and data exchange formats, and are based on existing radio-frequency identification (RFID) standards including ISO/IEC 14443 and FeliCa for standards shared with plastic card form factors. In addition, the NFC standards include ISO/IEC 18092 and those defined by the NFC Forum. In addition to the NFC Forum, the GSM Association (GSMA), which is an association of mobile telephone operators and related companies, has also defined a set of standards referred to as the GSMA NFC Standards for the deployment of NFC protocols within mobile telephones, including smartphones.
Short range radio communications, of which NFC is one example, have been used in other industries as well with much success. For example, in the automotive industry, electronic key fobs have for the most part now replaced the use of traditional physical keys for accessing and operating vehicles. In such applications, the electronic key fob emits a unique radio signal, which is recognised by the associated vehicle and unlocks, and in certain implementations, enables operation of the vehicle. Modern key fobs can also be configured with a storage medium enabling a user profile setting to be stored therein. In this way, when the key is used to activate a vehicle, the vehicle may also be configured in accordance with a driver profile setting stored on the key fob. For example, the driver profile setting may comprise any one or more of the following: driver seat position; steering wheel position; radio station; mirror positions (including side mirrors and rear view mirror); and interior temperature settings.
Vehicle key fobs typically comprise electronic circuitry comprising a processor, a transmitter for transmitting at the required radio frequency, and a storage device for storing the algorithms required to generate the unique radio signal, and any other required data, such as a user profile.
Vehicle key fobs are typically configured at the source of manufacture with the algorithms required to generate the unique radio signal. The user profile is often generated and stored local to the key fob when the key fob is inserted into the ignition, thereby establishing a physical connection with the vehicle's native processing unit. This enables settings selected by the user using the vehicle's native interface, to be stored on the key fob.
A shortcoming of existing vehicle key fob solutions is that the adopted communications protocols cannot be updated over the air. Instead, the key fob must be brought to the manufacturer for updating, and/or replacement. This may be required, for example where the security of the previous protocol has become compromised. In such circumstances, the replacement of compromised algorithms with more secure algorithms is of utmost importance. Currently, to deal with such scenarios, recalls are issued by the manufacturer. It is subsequently the user's responsibility to comply with the recall request and to schedule an appointment with the manufacturer. This solution is time consuming and relies on informed and proactive users.
The consumer electronics market has also seen the growth of wearable technology, which relates to smart electronic devices a consumer wears, such as watches and fitness bands. As with key fobs, these devices comprise support for short range data communications, a processor and storage. The communications protocols utilised are commonly Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or NFC, to facilitate the exchange of data between the wearable device and the consumer's smartphone or computer. However, such wearable devices are often unable to communicate with a remotely located service provider, due to the absence of long range communications means, such as a mobile telecommunications interface, or network connectivity means.
The above highlights a problem that consumers are unable to update their consumer electric devices configured with short-range communications functionality with content data and functionality provided from a range of service providers, such as payment card issuers providing contactless payment capability, and suppliers of access control systems. Examples of current access control systems may relate to systems used to restrict access to facilities, such as those commonly used in the hotel industry to restrict access to rooms, where typically a designated electronic key card is required to unlock a secure door.